Six Russian warships head to the Black Sea for military exercises

Six Russian warships are heading to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean to conduct naval exercises, Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday.

Last month, Russia announced that its navy would conduct a series of military exercises in January and February involving all its fleets, demonstrating its strength to Western countries in the face of rising tensions on its border with Ukraine.

Three ships crossed the Turkish strait into the Black Sea on Tuesday, according to a witness told Reuters. Three more vessels are expected to cross the strait on Wednesday.

The vessels that sailed on Tuesday include the Korolev, the Mins, and the Kaliningrad, while those that will pass through the area on Wednesday are the Pyotr Morgunov, the Georgy Pobedonosets, and the Olenegorsky Gornyak.

Naval exercises have intensified since after Russia increased its military buildup near the border with Ukraine, threatening its neighboring country with a possible invasion.

Russia has gathered more than 100,000 military personnel near the borders with Ukraine. The Russian troop deployment in Belarus is the largest Moscow has made in 30 years, causing tensions between Russia and the West to rise to their highest point since the Cold War, according to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders.

Turkey, a NATO member, has the power to close the strait to transit if Russia takes military action against Ukraine.

"Turkey is authorized to close the strait to all foreign warships in time of war or when threatened by aggression. It is also authorized to deny transit to merchant ships belonging to countries at war with Turkey," explained Yoruk Isik, political analyst and director of the Bosphorus Observer consultancy.

Turkey, which shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea, assured that any military conflict would be unacceptable, warning Moscow that an invasion would be reckless.